Vermont CEO wins runway approval as neighbour spends $300,000 fighting airstrip

Community spirit has turned to a lengthy court fight at a private airstrip in a quiet Vermont mountain town where neighbors used to welcome new residents with homemade casseroles and offers of riding lessons. A wealthy aviation entrepreneur who wants to fly direct from his estate and a neighbour who is determined to stop the runway changing the character of the surrounding countryside are at the heart of the issue.

The project has been approved by several authorities but is still the subject of appeals, with both sides defending their cases.Private airstrip divides mountain communityThe Boston Globe reported that the feud is between Beta Technologies electric aircraft maker chief executive Kyle Clark and his wife, Katie Clark, who bought a 130-acre property in Lincoln, Vermont, in 2021. Clark wanted to construct a 900-foot grass runway on their estate so he could fly small, gas-powered planes right from home.The proposal immediately raised hackles among nearby residents, notably Marilyn Ganahl, who owns a 105-acre horse farm and nature preserve next door.